1. North Carolina has the lowest rate of union membership (3.2 percent in 2010) in the United States.

2. Strong unions help to create a strong middle-class. Studies show that as union membership has declined, the average income of a middle class worker has declined as well 

3. Union membership rates in North Carolina have been in decline.  The number of workers represented by or a member of a union in 1983 was 10.2 percent but that has dropped to 4.9 percent in 2010. 

4. The percentage of workers in North Carolina who were members of a union in 2010 was 3.2. The percentage of workers represented by unions in 2010 in North Carolina was 4.9. North Carolina currently has the least amount of union representation in the nation. 

5. Nationwide, workers in education, training, and library occupations had the highest unionization rate at 37.1 percent. 

6. Across the country, the highest rate of union membership is among African American workers at 13.4 percent.  The rate of membership for whites is 11.7 percent, for Asians 10.9 percent, and for Hispanics 10.0 percent.  

7. North Carolina House Bill 1583, An Act to Restore Contract Rights to State and Local Entities, passed the House April 19, 2007.  The bill was filed in the North Carolina Senate on March 4, 2009, and it is now Senate Bill 427.  Enactment of the bill will result in the repeal of NC General Statute 95-98 which prohibits public employees from collective bargaining regarding such issues as their salaries, safety, and professional development/training.   

8. In May 2008 a study on public support for repealing NCGS 95-98 was released. Five polls were conducted between November of 2005 and May of 2008. In November 2005, 44.7 percent of North Carolinians supported the repeal.  In March 2007, 53.8 percent of North Carolinians supported the repeal.

Sources

1. Bureau of Labor Statistics at http://www.bls.gov/news.release/union2.nr0.htm.
2. http://www.americfanprogressaction.org/issues/2011/04/uions_middle_class.html
3. Bureau of Labor Statistics at http://www.bis.gov/news.release/union2.t05.htm
4. Ibid.
5. http://www.bis.gov/news.release/uion2.5)3.htm
6. http://www.bls.gov/news.release/union2.t01.htm
7. North Carolina General Assembly  at http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/gascripts/BillLookUp/BillLookUp.pl?Session=2007&BillID=h+1583 and     http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/gascripts/BillLookUp/BillLookUp.pl?Session=2009&BillID=S427.
8. North Carolina Hope at http://www.nchope.org/adobe/HOPEissue5v7.pdf.